YouTube's Jonah Mowry to take bully pulpit

Jonah Mowry, 16, of Lake Forest was recently honored by OC Human Relations as "Unsung Hero of the Year." Jonah, who struggled with bullying, became a viral center of attention on YouTube after making a video expressing his struggle. To cope with his depression, Jonah paints in his room and volunteers as a speaker. On Friday, Jonah will participate in the second annual People March Against Bullying.KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

What: Children, parents and community leaders will once again march for peace and kindness in memory of those children lost to hate

When: 5 p.m. Friday

Where: Main Beach Laguna Beach.

Problem or Crisis: 1-800-273-TALK

Jonah Mowry doesn't have to deal with bullying much anymore, but he still suffers from it.

Despite gaining worldwide attention following an anti-bullying video that went viral in 2011 with more than 10 million views, Mowry still becomes severely depressed in August, October and December – months that coincide with bullying that left him cutting himself and contemplating suicide. In May, he was honored by Orange County Human Relations with a Community Leader Award.

Despite being plagued by some demons right now, Mowry is happy this week. He will join his friend Victoria Mendez and participate in the second annual People's March Against Bullying planned in Laguna Beach on Friday. Last year, more than a hundred people turned out for the rally. Mendez, president of San Clemente High's Cool 2 Be Kind, is close to the cause: her brother Daniel killed himself in 2009. She now leads the event to bring awareness to what experts call a rising epidemic.

Victoria Mendez and her parents organized the nonprofit National Association of People Against Bullying this year to help children and families across the country. While the original Cool 2 Be Kind club started in San Clemente after Daniel's death, club chapters have grown nationwide. The club has been recognized by the city of San Clemente, the Orange County Board of Supervisors, the California State Senate and President Barack Obama.

Anna Mendez, Victoria's mother, detailed the San Clemente family's tragedy in “If These Halls Could Talk – The Daniel Mendez Story.” The book published this year has become a “go-to read” for parents, school officials and therapists.

“This march gives me something to look forward to,” said Mowry, who has garnered attention from Perez Hilton and Lady Gaga, following his heartfelt video that detailed his struggles on white index cards. “It will raise awareness, and people will realize it's an actual problem. Over the summer, a kid who went to Serrano killed himself. I'm tired of hearing about people who keep killing themselves.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the suicide rate for pre-teens and teens has gone up from 2007 to 2010. According to the national agency, the suicide rate for those ages 5 to 14 was 0.7 (per 100,000) in 2010, up from 0.5 in 2007. For teens, the rate was 10.5, up from 9.7 in 2007 and the highest rate in more than a decade.

Suicide rates have been growing among almost every demographic group the past several years. Experts have linked the rise in rates for those younger than 24 to bullying – especially through social media. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds. A 2008 review of bullying research by the Yale School of Medicine confirmed links between suicide and bullying. Some studies show bullying victims were two to nine times more likely to report thoughts of suicide.

Since her son's death, Anna Mendez has spoken at anti-bullying summits in Rancho Santa Margarita and San Francisco, and she is scheduled to speak in Orange County during the next few weeks. She is calling for more legislative, school and parental intervention.

Mendez said while there have been some attempts at legislation such as AB9 – a new law that requires public schools in California to update their anti-bullying policies – the problem with most legislation is that it prohibits bullying only for certain protected classes.

“In other words, you should not bully or intimidate someone because of their race, color, creed or sexual orientation,” she said. “It's implied that any other forms of bullying are completely acceptable. Such as harassing a girl because she dated the boy you like, or harassing a boy because you think he's a loser. ... Everyone needs protection from abuse, not just the protected classes.

“For those critics who claim that we have enough legislation on the books, we have personally lived it,” she added. “We found ourselves with a buried child, in a courtroom and being told by attorneys that there aren't any laws with teeth on the books today that they can enforce against bullying. ... As a child advocacy attorney told us, ‘Give me a piece of legislation I can enforce, and I will.' Right now, we have nothing.”

Mendez applauds work at San Clemente High School and in the Capistrano Unified School District. She hopes more schools countywide will take action.

She points to a state study released in August on “School Safety and Non-discrimination Law,” which found that most schools do not track whether their anti-bullying programs have made campuses any safer and that schools are inconsistent in how they record and resolve bullying incidents.

Jonah Mowry, 16, of Lake Forest was recently honored by OC Human Relations as "Unsung Hero of the Year." Jonah, who struggled with bullying, became a viral center of attention on YouTube after making a video expressing his struggle. To cope with his depression, Jonah paints in his room and volunteers as a speaker. On Friday, Jonah will participate in the second annual People March Against Bullying. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Jonah Mowry, 16, of Lake Forest, left, speaks with his mother PeggySue in his Lake Forest home. Jonah was recently honored by OC Human Relations as "Unsung Hero of the Year" for his battle with bullying. He became a viral center of attention on YouTube after making a video expressing his struggle and will participate in the second annual People March Against Bullying. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Jonah Mowry, 16, of Lake Forest holds his award given to him by OC Human Relations for being the "Unsung Hero of the Year." Jonah became viral with a video he posted two years ago on YouTube expressing his struggle with bullying at school. On Friday, Jonah will participate in the second annual People March Against Bullying. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Cool 2 Be Kind Club members at San Clemente High prepare posters for Friday's second annual People's March Against Bullying planned in Laguna Beach. STUART PALLEY, Orange County Register
Victoria Mendez, sister of Daniel Mendez who shot himself on a San Clemente street in 2009, is president of the Cool 2 Be Kind Club. STUART PALLEY, Orange County Register
Last year more than 100 people turned out for the march also held in Laguna Beach. STUART PALLEY, Orange County Register
Members of the San Clemente High Club prepare for the peaceful rally. Cool 2 Be Kind Clubs have been established in several other states. STUART PALLEY, Orange County Register
Jacqueline Lewis, 15, puts details on a sign she made for 2 Cool to Be Kind, an anti-bullying organization. An anti-bullying march will be held next Friday at Main Beach in Laguna Beach. STUART PALLEY, Orange County Register
Victoria Mendez is the president of Cool 2 Be Kind and is a San Clemente HS student. Victoria's brother Daniel shot himself due to bullying a few years ago and she was overseeing fellow students making signs and banners for a march to be held next Friday in Laguna Beach against bullying. Shoot of students making signs during their lunch break for the march. STUART PALLEY, Orange County Register

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